


Someday At Christmas

by JenT4



Category: ER, Garcy - Fandom, Luby - Fandom, Timeless - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:21:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21936631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenT4/pseuds/JenT4
Summary: Flynn and Lucy travel back to Salem where they encounter Flynn's doppelganger. Is it nefarious? Or something else? This is basically a fluffy Christmastime fic. Don't look for anything deep.I'm calling it a crossover, not an AU. Because hey. This could happen!Rated M mostly for language. Could be some smut later.Happy holidays!
Relationships: Garcia Flynn/Lucy Preston, Luka Kovač/Abby Lockhart
Comments: 20
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DoctorLia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorLia/gifts).



_ Salem Massachusetts, December 2027  _

  
  
  


Lucy smiles at Garcia when he drops their bag on the bed in one of the King Suites of the Salem Hotel. “This is the first time we’ve been back to one of the places we time traveled, in the present day.”

Flynn grins at her. “You’re right. Though we’ve pretty much been homebodies for the last year.”

Lucy sits beside him and takes his hand. “Garcia, I…”

“Hey.” He squeezes her hand. “Things have been complicated.”

“Yeah.” She smiles again and sighs. “The girls were so excited to have a sleepover with Jiya and Jessica.”

Flynn’s brow furrows. “I wish she and Rufus would work it out.”

Lucy sighs. “A lot happened in the five years you were dead, Garcia. When I asked for her help with saving you, she was happy to do it. But it left her with everything. Including Rufus being a completely insensitive asshat after we got him back. He had changed  _ so much _ . I know you weren’t there to see it, but trust me when I say he wasn’t the Rufus you knew.” Lucy scowls. 

Flynn sighs. “I know. I just wish he was. That’s all. Rufus is getting himself back, and that’s good. But he still has a long way to go to make up for everything. Jiya’s very happy with Jess living there. Happier than I’ve ever seen her, and that’s enough for me.”

Lucy grins. “Well, who knows what will happen? Jiya is taking a break from Rufus, and Jess is helping her through it. The entire thing with Wyatt…”

Garcia turns her face to his with a fingertip and kisses her. “Let’s not.”

Chuckling, Lucy deepens the kiss and pushes him back on the bed and pulls him into her arms. No, she thinks, let’s not think about Wyatt, and the amount of manipulation she’d allowed herself to take from him. He had been Rittenhouse all along, and she had found out right before they had taken that final trip to Sao Paulo. A note slipped in the journal had fixed everything. She had written it in secret and had Jiya hold onto it, since Wyatt had watched over the journal like a hawk before they brought it to Flynn. She had slipped it between the pages when he had finally handed it over to her. So simple, but it had worked. Her only regret was that Garcia had still been unable to save Lorena and Iris. Lucy had been nervous about the girls, but she had known in her heart all along that they were Flynn’s. Coming back to find them still safe in the bunker had only confirmed it. Lucy had had a moment of panic when Garcia hadn’t been there, but Denise had pulled her aside, out of Wyatt’s earshot, and explained that Flynn would be back soon. The shit hit the fan at that point. 

Months of sorting out what had happened in the changed timeline. Flynn had never killed Jessica, Jessica  _ had _ been pregnant after all, Rufus had still refused to believe anything bad of Wyatt. What a mess. But in the end, it had all worked out. Wyatt was in prison, Jessica was raising their son on her own (probably a good thing), Rufus was working to atone for his actions, and her and Flynn? They were spending their second Christmas as a married couple. 

Oh, and best of all? Garcia had saved Amy. She  _ still  _ couldn’t believe she had talked herself into letting Amy go. For the love of a man who would emotionally abuse and manipulate her for five full years before she had managed to find the courage to fix it. Lucy sighs in Garcia’s arms and revels in his soft lips on hers.

Garcia pulls back and raises a brow. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you wanted a swim?” 

She smirks. “You just want to see me in that bikini.”

“Well…”

Lucy laughs and pinches him. “Okay. I’ll change and meet you down there.”

Flynn pushes off the bed and finds his suit with lightning speed. “Me first.” He dashes to the bathroom.

She shakes her head and smiles, looking for her bathing suit in the suitcase. This playful side of him was something that had emerged slowly, but it was amazing. She loves seeing him with their girls. That had come even faster. But with her, it had taken a while. They had both needed time for their scars to heal over. He comes out of the bath in his trunks with a towel slung over his shoulders. Lucy gives him a once over. “Are you sure you want to swim?”

He laughs and leans down to kiss her. “Yes. We have three days here. We should swim and ...work up an appetite.” 

“Hmmmm.” She gives him a shove toward the door. “Fine, you tease. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Garcia smiles and heads down the hall to the elevator. The last few years have been nothing short of amazing. It hadn’t been easy, but the life he was building with Lucy was worth all of the pain. He still grieved Lorena and Iris, and always would. But Lucy, Amy and Flynn held just as much of his heart as they had. Surveying the pool after dropping his towel on a lounge chair, he jumps when a small hand swats his ass. “That was fast…” Garcia’s jaw drops when he turns to see the small brunette with silver streaks in her hair, who is definitely  _ not _ his wife, grinning at him.

“He just wanted to tell us that the dog was fine, and he wasn’t throwing a party.”

Flynn lifts a brow at her. “Excuse me?”

“Luka, what the hell is wrong with you?” Abby stands there scowling at him. Her mouth drops open while she studies him. “You’re not Luka.”   
  


“No.” Worried about the woman now, he puts a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

She shakes her head and laughs. “No, I am definitely  _ not _ okay.” Abby nods over his shoulder at her husband who is coming toward her with two soft drinks. She gives him a wave. “Meet your doppelganger, Mr….”

“Flynn, Garcia Flynn.” Puzzled, he turns to follow her gaze and does a double take. The man coming toward him could be his twin. He had more gray in his hair, and more lines around his eyes, but he could absolutely see why the woman would think he was her husband. Flynn has a moment of panic, wondering if they had somehow screwed with the timeline so much that he had managed to produce an older copy of himself. One who was married to a woman he’d never laid eyes on before. 

Luka slows as his eyes widen. “Abby?” 

Amused now, Abby steps forward and pulls him in. “Luka, meet Mr. Flynn. I sexually assaulted him, thinking he was you.”

Luka and Flynn stare at one another, trying to process the fact that they each felt like they were looking at a version of their older or younger selves. Garcia clears his throat. “Um, she didn’t assault me. It was an honest mistake.” He extends his hand. “Nice to meet you? I think?”

Luka hands the drinks to Abby and shakes. “Likewise. I think.” He glances at his wife. “So…”

Abby sends an amused glance behind them. “I think  _ your  _ wife may have joined the party, Mr. Flynn.”

Garcia turns to see Lucy staring at them all. With a shrug, he gestures her over. “Lucy, meet Luka and Abby. I think maybe we all should have a discussion.”

Stunned speechless, Lucy opens her mouth, closes it again. She stares at Garcia. “How?”

He takes her hand and squeezes gently, knowing what she’s thinking. “I don’t think it’s nefarious. Let’s all take a minute.” He turns and smiles at Abby. “Didn’t you need to tell your husband something about the dog?”

Abby shakes her head and laughs. “Yeah. Joe and Bender are fine.”

Flynn snorts and studies her. “Bender? Is that Breakfast Club or Futurama?”

Abby grins. “Breakfast Club.”

“Nice. I’m assuming he’s the dog?” Garcia shrugs while Abby nods and Lucy and Luka simultaneously roll their eyes. “You have good taste.”

“I know.” She nudges Luka. “Maybe we should go up and change.” She turns to Flynn and Lucy. “You two can take the swim you obviously wanted to take. Um, maybe we can all have dinner?”

Lucy clears her throat, still stunned. “Sure. I’m just...processing.” She turns to Garcia when they walk away. “Flynn, what the hell?”

“I know what you’re thinking. But…” He shakes his head. “Let’s just see. I didn’t get any sort of vibe from them other than confusion, and embarrassment from Abby when she grabbed my ass.”

“We didn’t get a vibe from Wyatt either.” Lucy mutters. “Wait, she grabbed your ass?”

Garcia grins and leans down to kiss her. “She thought I was her husband. It was an accident. And  _ I  _ got a vibe from Wyatt.”

Lucy smirks and rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes you did. Okay. Let’s take that swim and then we’ll see what’s happening.”

*******************************************

Luka smiles at his wife while they change. “Sexual assault, huh?”

Abby shrugs. “I told you, I thought he was you.” She turns after pulling her sweater over her head. “I forgot how old we are for a minute.”

He pulls her in and rests his head on hers. “We’re still pretty spry for old people.”

Smiling fondly, she rises on her toes to kiss him. “We are. Let’s go down and have a chat with these people. Did you think their reaction was weird, even considering the circumstances?” She takes his hand to walk to the door.

Luka shrugs. “A little. But I’m feeling a little weird about it too. He has a Croatian accent.” he murmurs.

“I noticed.” Abby shrugs. “I don’t know know what the hell, Luka. I guess we go find out.”

They take seats in the Regatta Pub, the historic hotel’s flagship restaurant. Luka reaches over for her hand. “Whatever this is, I’m happy to be here with you.”

She smiles at him. “Can you believe we’ve been married over twenty years?”

“It feels like longer, to be honest.” He brings her hand to his lips. “In a good way.”

“Thank you for never giving up on us.” She squeezes his hand. “Your faith got us through a lot of rough times.”

“We’ve had more good ones than rough ones.” He glances up and leans back when a throat clears next to them. “Ah, Hi.” Luka gestures to the two empty seats. “Sit down.”

Garcia and Lucy sit, looking at the other two closely. Lucy speaks. “Um, we’re sorry for being so weird.”

Abby laughs. “So are we. It’s a weird situation. So…. what’s your story?”

Flynn glances at Lucy and shrugs. “We can’t tell you a lot of things.”

Luka lifts a brow. “Are you spies or something?”

Flynn laughs. “No. It’s more complicated than that. But I’m really curious to know your family history, Luka. What’s your surname?”

“Kovač.” Luka studies him. “Flynn’s Irish, not Croatian.”

Flynn smirks. “My grandfather was half Irish, half Croat. My grandmother was Croatian. My father was born and raised in Croatia.”

“Your mother?”

“American. She worked for the government. She met him over there, and that’s where they raised me.” Flynn shakes his head. They were getting off track. “How about you?”

“Born and raised in Croatia. I moved here after…” Luka swallows and Abby grips his hand. “My family was killed at Vukovar.”

Garcia softens in sympathy. He had been a young teen during the siege, and far away from it, but he had lived through enough of the war to know how bad it had been. “I’m sorry.”

Luka nods while Lucy watches him with narrowed eyes. “What happened?” She demands.

Abby’s eyes snap up, full of fire, to glare at the younger woman. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

“It’s my business when your husband looks almost exactly like  _ my _ husband, and has nearly the same tragic backstory.” Lucy sneers.

Abby shoots back. “Jesus. How was I supposed to know that? Are you suspicious of everyone? Do you think you’re the only people with tragedy in your background? Get off your high horse, sister.”

Garcia and Luka look between their wives, each knowing how quickly things could turn ugly. Flynn touches Lucy’s arm. “Lucy. Let’s hear them out.”

Luka sighs. “Look. I have no idea why we look so much alike. I can’t think of any Flynn’s in my family history, but you never know.” He shrugs. “Croatia is a small country and genetics are a strange area.”

“What do you do for a living?” Flynn asks him.

“We’re both doctors.” Luka smiles at his wife. “It’s how we met.”

Still irritated, but starting to calm down, Abby smirks at him. “I was a nurse when we met.”

“Med student, too, technically. But whatever. The point is, neither of us know anything about international intrigue. And I’m sorry you have tragedy in your past too.” He looks directly at Lucy, who visibly relaxes.

Abby pokes him. “My brother still thinks you were KGB.”

“Your brother is an idiot.” Luka smiles fondly. 

Flynn shakes his head. “We have to be related.”

Luka smiles. “Maybe. Like I said, genetics are a weird area. But I would say yeah, we probably are. Somewhere down the line.” He shifts and signals the waiter. “I’m starving. Do you mind if we eat?” Forever the peacekeeper, Luka works to diffuse the situation. He squeezes Abby’s hand pointedly after they order. 

Garcia excuses himself quietly. Moving out to the lobby, he texts Jiya, asking for a deep run on the Kovač’s. He had a gut feeling that they were innocent and absolutely clueless to any Rittenhouse dealings, but he had to be sure. He smiles when Jiya immediately replies. “What the fuck, Flynn? Can’t you stay out of trouble for five minutes? Whatever. Just be careful. I’m not raising your rugrats.”

Abby sighs. “I’m sorry, Lucy. Luka doesn’t like to talk about it, and I’m protective.”

Lucy shakes her head. “I understand. Sorry back.” She smiles at Abby. “Do you two have kids?”

“Just one. He’s graduating from Boston U next semester, and heading for law school.” Abby grins proudly.

Lucy laughs. “Both of his parents are doctors and he’s going into law?”

Luka chuckles. “He told us he wanted to be able to defend us if we got sued for malpractice.” He shakes his head. “Mostly, I think he saw too much of medicine and it just didn’t interest him.”

Lucy nods and shifts uncomfortably. “I followed in my mother’s footsteps, so I get it. You don’t always want to do what your parents did.”

Abby nods. “Definitely not.” She picks up her fork when their dinner is served. “What do you do?”

“I’m a historian. Garcia works in private security.”

Luka lifts a brow. “That sounds like code for spies.”

Abby rolls her eyes and pokes him. “He’s seen too many James Bond movies.”

Flynn cocks his head as he comes back in and sends a private grin at Lucy. “What about James Bond?”

Lucy tugs him down. “Luka still thinks we’re spies.”

“If the boot fits.” He shrugs. 

Abby giggles when Lucy and Flynn give him twin baffled looks. “Don’t mind him, it’s a thing. You’ve probably been to Salem before if you’re a historian, Lucy.”

Lucy slides her eyes over to Flynn. “Only once, actually. Ah, Garcia and I sort of had our first real date here.”

Flynn snorts and bites his bottom lip. “That was Chicago.”

Lucy snickers. “Under duress.”

He shrugs. “Still counts.”

Luka watches the byplay, amused. These two were crazy about each other. “Abby and I met in Chicago. We lived there for about ten years.”

“I lived there longer. You were busy sailing from north to south on the river systems.”

Garcia studies them. “Why were you doing that?”

Luka sighs. “When I came to America, I didn’t have any sort of clear plan. I had to leave Croatia. I couldn’t breathe there, not with my wife and kids gone. But I really had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do. I bought a boat and played moonlighter anywhere I could for a few years until I ended up at County General in Chicago. I connected with people there. I couldn’t explain it to myself, but I’d found my place.” He glances over at Abby. “I realized years later that Abby was the reason I ended up there and why I stayed.”

Lucy swallows and squeezes Garcia’s hand. “That’s beautiful.”

Luka shrugs and grins. “Not that we didn’t have drama and a crazy life. But she’s my reason. We moved to Boston about nineteen years ago now. We had never been to Salem, so we thought we would check it out.”

“It’s an interesting place.” Lucy smiles. “Maybe we could do some sightseeing together tomorrow.”

Taken aback, Abby lifts a shoulder. “Aren’t you guys on vacation?”

“Sure. But I’m always happy to talk history, and Garcia gets tired of hearing it.”

“No I don’t.” He smiles. “But it would be nice, if you would like that.” Flynn addresses Luka.

Luka glances at Abby, who shrugs again. “Okay. We’ll ah, let you spend the rest of your evening alone. Just send a message to our room in the morning with the time or whatever.”

Garcia studies Lucy as they leave. “That was a smooth way of getting rid of them until we have more information.”

Lucy smirks. “I wasn’t really trying to get rid of them, it just worked out that way. What did Jiya find?”

“How do you know I contacted Jiya?” Flynn gris at her.

“Because I know you, and you dropped your eyes to your phone quite a few times. I can read you too well, Garcia.”

He sighs. “Let’s get a drink and go over the documents she sent. It’s a lot.”

They pay their check and move over to the bar. Ordering beers, they split the information between them and read. Thirty minutes later, Lucy sighs. “Abby had a rough life. Bipolar mother and absentee father. She basically raised her younger brother. Married a real jerk right out of college. Worked as a nurse to put herself through med school.” She frowns. “She had some problems with alcohol, but she’s been sober for almost twenty years. About a year after she married Luka, actually. Interesting.”

Garcia just gives an absent “Hmmm.” Luka’s story was getting to him, and he swallows over the lump in his throat. 

Lucy lays a hand on his arm. “Should we have split these the other way?”

He smiles at her. “No. I can’t help but feel for the man, though. His apartment was hit by a mortar shell while he was out at the market. His wife, son, and daughter were all killed. He wasn’t even there. Is that better or worse?” Garcia murmurs.

Lucy takes his face in her hands and kisses him softly. “Neither. It just is. We know that better than anybody.”

Garcia nods. “Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Luka dated two women who were connected to Rittenhouse.”

Lucy lifts a brow. “Interesting. Abby dated one.”

Garcia looks at the notes. “I think one of them was unaware she was connected. He lived with her for about a year. She doesn’t have any activity noted though. Just family connections. Samantha Taggart.” He toggles his phone over to text Jiya for a run. “The other looks like she may have been a sleeper. Nicole Bisset.” Garcia smiles a little. “It looks like Abby got rid of her. Good for her.”

“What’s their history? There’s not much in Abby’s about it other than they dated, broke up, and she got pregnant some years later. That’s when they stayed together.”

Garcia smiles again. “They were together for a year or so. They broke up but maintained a close friendship. He lived with Sam, but that didn’t work out, obviously. Then yes, they got back together, she got pregnant.” He studies the email. “Looks like some drama surrounding their son’s birth. He was premature. They got married a year later.” Flynn’s brow furrows. “Looks like they separated for a bit. There’s a different address listed for about a month in April of 2008.”

Lucy frowns. “A few months after she went to a private rehab.” She shrugs. “Probably something to do with her relapse. They got back together and have stayed together from all accounts.”

He nods. “Yeah. That tells me they have a strong bond and a strong marriage. I’m just not seeing anything, Lucy..”

“Me either, but…” She pauses for effect. “The guy Abby dated was John Truman Carter the third.”

Flynn’s head snaps up. “You’re kidding.”

Lucy grins. “Nope.”

Flynn shakes his head. “Son of a bitch. We never found anything on any of the Carters other than the patriarch though. This would have been what? His great-grandson?”

She nods. “Yeah. It doesn’t look like he has anything to do with Rittenhouse. He actually did his best to buck the family tradition. He became a doctor, and he did a lot of work with DWB. He’s married to a French citizen and they have two kids.”

Garcia’s eyes narrow. “DWB would be a good cover.”

“It would, but...I’m just not seeing it. He just does his own thing.” 

“Well. I want to dig a little more on him, just in case. I also want to research the Kovač family tree to see where it might cross with the Flynns.” Garcia leans in close. “I also want to spend some time alone with you.”

Lucy slides her hand through his hair. “Then let’s go upstairs, handsome.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What started as a fun, fluffy Christmas gift has decided to grow into more. Sorry? 😆

“Jiya, we’re fine. Really.” Lucy smiles at her friend.

“Well, when Flynn contacts me to do a run on a guy who looks  _ exactly  _ how I imagine he’ll look in about ten years, I start to worry.”

“I know it. But we talked to them, and they’re clueless. Garcia is doing a deeper search on some stuff.” She smiles when he curses at his laptop. “We’re going to spend some time with them tomorrow, but I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I think it’s just a weird coincidence.”

“Even with the sleeper and the other Rittenhouse connections?” Jiya lifts a brow.

“Yeah. Even with that.” Lucy sighs. “They’re sweet, Jiya. You didn’t meet them. They have a bond that you can tangibly feel. I hope Garcia and I are still like that in twenty years or so.”

“You will be.” Jiya smiles. “Do you want to say goodnight to the girls? They’re out in the yard with Jess and Scotty.”

Lucy grins. “Of course we do.” She rises from the bed where she had been talking to Jiya and moves over to the desk to slide into Flynn’s lap while Jiya moves to the backyard. “The girls want to say goodnight.”

Flynn shakes his head, trying to refocus on his wife. He smiles and strokes her arm. “Okay.”

Jiya’s voice comes out of the phone in Lucy’s hand. “Hey Flynn.”

“Hey. Sorry I gave you extra work tonight.”

She shrugs. “It’s fine. Lucy has mostly got me talked out of worrying. Here are the girls.” 

Lucy leans her head close to Garcia’s while the girls excitedly share their adventures of the day with their parents, and the plans for tomorrow. “Sounds like you’re having a great time with Jiya and Jess.”

“And Scotty, mom.” Amy rolls her eyes.

“Of course Scotty. Sorry.” 

“Have you seen any ghosts?” Flynn leans in, eyes wide.

Garcia chuckles. “It’s witches here, baby. Not ghosts.”

“Well sure. But they might be ghosts  _ of  _ witches _.”  _

Lucy laughs. “We haven’t seen either. But we haven’t really left the hotel. We’re going sightseeing tomorrow.”

“I hope you see some. That would be cool.” Amy nods solemnly.

Garcia grins at them. “It would be  _ very  _ cool. You girls sleep well, and be good for your aunts.”

“We will!” The girls chorus in unison and say their goodnights to their parents before scrambling off to play more.

Lucy laughs. “I guess we see how we rate.” 

Jiya grins. “Hey. We’re the cool aunts. You guys are just their parents. I’ll let you go. Please behave yourselves and be careful.”

Garcia smirks. “We’ll be careful. I’m not sure about behaving.” 

Jiya snorts and rolls her eyes, signing off with a wave.

Lucy hooks her arm around his neck. “Did you find anything more?”

Garcia, suddenly distracted again by his wife in his lap, shakes his head. “What?”

Lucy’s laugh is like smoke. “I asked you if you found anything more.”

Flynn’s eyes drop to her lips. “Ah.” Smiling, he leans in to kiss her. “I did, as a matter of fact.”

Lucy swats his hand when it slides up to cup her breast. “Behave, mister. Tell me what you found, and you’ll get a reward.” 

Garcia smiles and swivels the chair back to face the desk and the laptop. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He taps a few keys to bring up the information.

“You always do.” Lucy murmurs. Narrowing her eyes, Lucy reads the screen. “Is this your family history?”

“Yeah. Looks like Luka’s maternal great-grandfather and mine were brothers.” He shrugs. “That would make us cousins, sort of. A lot of times removed, but cousins.”

Lucy nods. “That’s a reasonable explanation, actually. You’re always hearing about people who have distant relatives who look just like them. I’ve just never experienced it before.” She shrugs. “Like Luka said, genetics are a weird area. Even with my anthro background, it’s hard to grasp a lot of it.”

“Yeah. It looks like the family genes run strong.” Garcia hits another key to bring up another picture. “This is Luka and Abby’s son.”

Lucy smiles. “He looks just like his dad, with his mother’s eyes. Handsome boy.” She leans in a little to read his information. “Josip Kovač.” Lucy laughs. “Nothing like giving a kid a name that will mess with his teachers.”

Garcia laughs. “I think he goes by Joe. That’s what Abby called him earlier.” He pokes her belly. “And we have no room to talk, considering one of our daughter’s names is Flynn Preston-Flynn.”

She snorts. “Point taken. He’s clear, I’m assuming?”

“Completely. Top of his class at BU. He played football, or soccer for you American types. He went on a partial athletic scholarship. Not that his parents couldn’t afford a school like Boston, but it looks like he was scouted by several schools and settled there to stay close to his parents. It seems like they’re tight. He played on the Juniors National team his senior year of high school.” Toggling the page over, he points. “No serious romantic relationships, yet, but he’s only twenty-one, so that’s not suspicious. He has one friend from childhood that he’s stayed tight with. The friend is clear too.” Flynn squeezes Lucy’s hand when she opens her mouth to speak. “It looks like they grew up together. Ken goes to Harvard, and is looking at medical schools at the moment. Joe has a couple of other long-time friends, football teammates. They’re all clear.”

Lucy smiles. “You got a lot of information.”

Garcia strokes her hip. “I did. Do I get my reward now?” He leans in to take her bottom lip between his teeth.

Stroking his hair, Lucy wiggles in his lap. “I suppose.”

“I have Abby and Luka’s former Rittenhouse connections on an automatic deep run.” He stands and hitches her legs around hips to stride to the bed. “We can check that in the morning.”

Laughing when he drops her on the bed, Lucy grins up at him. “Then you definitely get a big reward.” 

***************************************************

Abby rolls over and squints at Luka when he sits on her side of the bed with a cup of coffee in hand. Sitting up, she takes it and drinks deep. “You know? I love you for many things, but your habit of bringing me coffee in bed is at the top of my list.”

Luka chuckles. “I absolutely know.” He leans in to kiss her. 

Abby lifts her brow at him. “And we all know you married me for the sex.”

Luka snorts. “I’m a simple man.” He rises. “Flynn sent a message. They want to meet in the lobby at ten.”

Abby glances at the clock. Smirks. “We have over an hour. Maybe I should remind you of why you married me.” 

Luka smiles at her while his blood heats. “Breakfast will be here any second. But after that….”

Abby snickers when she tosses the covers aside to head to the bathroom. She glances over her shoulder at him. “There was a time that you would have told them to leave the food outside. But okay, old man.” She closes the bathroom door.

Luka casts his eyes to the ceiling and sighs when he hears the knock from room service. He lets them in and signs. Considering the door, Luka smirks. “Old man, my ass.”

***********************************************

Lucy sips coffee from her thermos and eyes Garcia. “Are you planning to tell them what we found?”

He sighs. “I still don’t know how much we can tell them. Not only is there the national security factor, but why freak them out? Neither of them have seen Nicole since she left Chicago. They’re still friends with Carter, and he’s clear. They’ve only had occasional contact with Samantha, when they’ve visited Chicago. Why even bring it up?” Flynn shakes his head when Lucy opens her mouth to speak. “I know why, moja ljubav. That was rhetorical.” He kisses her nose.

Lucy smiles. “It’s hard to know what’s right. Sam was sending regular reports on Luka to an agent. He has a right to know that. But..” she cuts him off when  _ he _ starts to speak. “She was doing it so they could keep tabs on  _ you _ . You had never met Luka before yesterday, so it seems pointless.” She shrugs. “I guess maybe we just feel them out?”

Flynn nods and glances at his watch. “They’re a little late. Need a refill?”

Lucy smiles and hands him her cup. “Thanks.” She glances at the elevator when Garcia moves over to the coffee service, and smirks when she sees Abby snuggled into Luka’s side, his arm around her shoulders. They were both glowing.

Luka smiles at Lucy. “Hi. Ah, sorry we’re late. We got distracted.”

She licks her lips and tries to hold back her giggle. “I bet.” Lucy snorts when Luka blushes. “It’s fine. Do you want coffee or water or anything before we go?”

Abby smirks and pulls her thermos from her bag. “We’re set. Luka knows that supplying me with coffee keeps me happy.”

Flynn grins at her and hands Lucy her coffee. “We have that in common, apparently.” 

Luka shrugs. “Abby isn’t coherent without at least a cup. She’s also grumpy.”

Flynn laughs. “Definitely something in common.” He smiles at Lucy, who is scowling at him. “What? It’s true, darling, and you know it.”

Lucy tries to hold back her smile and fails. “Fine, it is.” She studies Abby. “Not to be too...familiar...but you two look happy.”

Abby smirks. “I married him for coffee, but he married me for sex.”

Lucy chokes on her coffee and grins. “I guess we have that in common too.”

Flynn rolls his eyes. “Definitely  _ not _ true.”

Luka laughs. “Not for me either, but it makes her happy to tease me about it.” He shrugs. “Whatever works.”

Lucy smiles at him as they pull open the front doors to walk out into the cold December air. “You guys have been married a long time?”

“Twenty years last May. We were together for quite awhile before we made it legal though.” Luka smiles down at her, and Lucy finds it disconcerting how much he looks like her husband. “How about you two?”

Flynn slides up to take Lucy’s hand. “Almost two years. But it’s complicated.”

Abby snorts. “We know complicated. Trust me. How about kids? Got any?”

“Twin girls. They’re nine.”

Luka opens his mouth, closes it again. 

Flynn laughs. “Complicated.”

Abby shrugs. “We get it. So where are we going?”

Lucy smiles at her and turns down a side street. “I thought we’d go by the cemetery and the jail. Maybe you’d like to see Gallow’s Hill? That’s where the revolt took place.” She glances at Garcia who shakes his head a little. It was mind boggling how things had changed in the past and still life went on in the future. “That’s a bit of a hike though, so if you’re not up for it…”

Luka snorts. “Do we look infirm?”

Lucy laughs. “You most definitely do  _ not. _ ” 

“Good. We don’t mind a walk, do we, Abby?” Luka winks at his wife. 

“Not a bit.” Abby pulls her coat a little tighter. “So what did you two want to talk to us about?”

Lucy’s brows draw together. “What makes you think…?

Abby rolls her eyes. “Young lady, I’m nearly sixty, and Luka is past that particular milestone. We both have a pretty good read on people.”

Garcia smiles and shakes his head. “We’re sure you do. I suppose we’ll dive right in. Luka, our maternal great-grandfathers were brothers.”

Luka nods. “That explains that. Quite often, distant relatives look more similar than close relatives. I never knew much about my mother’s family. My grandparents were gone before I was born. I had an aunt, but she lived in Dubrovnik. I didn’t know her very well. I grew up in Zagreb.”

Garcia nods. He already knew that. “A lovely city.”

“It is. My mother died when I was seventeen, in my first year of university. So unfortunately, I never had the chance to ask her any of that.” Luka sighs. “Not that I would have. One of my regrets.”

Abby moves closer and takes his hand, squeezing in silent support. Luka smiles down at her. 

Lucy stops short. “Do you have a lot of regrets?

Luka stops and studies her. “A few, but more, just things I wish I had done or not done.” He shifts to put his arm around Abby. “I’m grateful for the life we’ve lived, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But everybody has some regrets, don’t they?”

Garcia takes Lucy’s arm and studies Luka in turn. “Change one thing, change something or everything else. That’s something I’ve learned the hard way.”

Abby narrows her eyes at him. “How in the world would you know if you’ve changed anything?”

Garcia shakes his head and smiles a little while he evades. “I’ve seen the movies. My point is, regrets are human. That doesn’t mean we should get caught up in them.”

Luka smiles. “I happen to agree. It took me awhile to learn that.”

Abby squeezes his hand. “Me too.” She rises on her toes to kiss him. 

Lucy sighs and begins to walk again. “Luka, have you ever heard of Rittenhouse?” She shrugs when Garcia stares at her and casts his eyes to the sky. “You’re usually more direct. I’m cutting to the chase.” She looks pointedly at her husband.

Baffled, Luka shakes his head. “No. Wait…”

Abby had stopped and gone pale. “Rittenhouse?”

Garcia steps closer to Abby, laying a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve heard the name?”

Abby grips Luka’s hand, looking at him desperately. “I…”

Luka pulls her in, murmuring in Croatian. She nods. Luka pulls back. “Will you give us a minute?”

Garcia and Lucy watch as Luka and Abby move off near one of the trees, holding a murmured conversation. “What do you think?” Lucy leans closer.

“I think Abby knows the name, and she’s terrified.”

“Yeah.” Lucy gives Abby a reassuring smile as they rejoin them. “Are you okay?”

Abby nods. “Yeah. Okay. I really need to sit down.” She strides over to one of the benches in the park they were cutting through. “Listen. This was a long time ago. It has nothing to do with us meeting you, or anything like that. I could tell you were and maybe are suspicious of us. But believe me when I tell you, we have nothing to do with Rittenhouse. Nothing.”

Garcia nods and crouches in front of her. “I believe you.” He puts his hand on her knee while Luka sits beside her and wraps an arm around her shoulders. 

Luka looks up at them. “She’s afraid to hear that name. Abby doesn’t scare easily. She told me where she had heard the name, and I’m confused as to what it has to do with us, or you.” 

Lucy moves closer. “Abby, tell us what you know, please. We’ll do our best to explain things once you do.”

Abby nods and leans closer to Luka, gripping his hand. “We have a friend. His name is John Carter. I...I dated him for awhile. It’s...it’s complicated.”

Garcia nods. “It always is.” He smiles at her.

Abby gives a watery laugh. “Yeah. Anyways. His family was really rich. Like...really,  _ really _ rich. His grandmother didn’t really approve of me, and she was the family glue. Carter was...well, he kind of did his own thing. He still does.” She smiles at Luka, who grins at her. “While we were together, I got this package. It had all kinds of information on me. Things that  _ nobody _ should have known about. There was also a warning to break up with Carter.”

Luka curses under his breath. “Did you tell him?”

“Yeah. Of course I did. I wasn’t really afraid of that. More confused and I guess, amused? Nobody thought I was good enough for Saint Carter.” Abby smirks.

Luka snorts. “Saint Carter wasn’t good enough for  _ you. _ But that’s not the point. Go on, baby. What did he do?”

“He was pissed, and told me not to worry about it.” She eyes Luka out of the corner of hers. “You know how he was, Luka. He expected me to be an open book, but he rarely told me anything unless he had to.” Her lips curve. “Like someone else I know.”

Luka kisses the top of her head and sighs. “Shut up.”

“Yeah. Anyways, a few weeks went by, and this guy showed up at my apartment. Carter was working an overnight, and I was alone.” She squeezes Luka’s hand, knowing that even though it was years ago, the thought of her being in danger still frightens him. “I was catching up on some reading, and he just came in. He explained very carefully what Rittenhouse would do to me, my family, and…” Abby swallows hard.

Luka narrows his eyes. “And what?”

She closes her eyes. “And to you.”

Lucy holds up a hand. “Why would they threaten Luka?”

“Because Luka and I...Our relationship was over, but we were still friends. Not as close as we had been, but somehow they knew that he was one of the most important people in my life. So they mentioned him. My mother. My brother.”

Luka curses. “Why did you never tell me this?”

Abby rolls her eyes. “I don’t know, Luka. It didn’t seem like a good idea to tell you. You were wrapped up in all of your...stuff. The guy left, making it clear that I should do as he said. I called Carter, and he came over. He was furious. I had never seen him like that before. He told me not to worry, and that he would take care of it.” She looks directly at Garcia. “One of  _ my  _ regrets is letting him.”

“Did anything else happen?” Garcia demands. 

Abby shakes her head. “No. Over time, I forgot about it, mostly. Nobody ever approached me again, and life went on.”

Lucy pats Abby’s shoulder. “Okay.”

Abby glares at her. “That’s it? Okay?”

Garcia rises from his crouch. “We’ll explain.” He glances around. “There’s a tea shop over there. Let’s go get a cup, and warm up a little. We can talk there.”

Luka rises and nods, pulling Abby to her feet. “I have a lot of questions. I expect some fucking answers.” He strides toward the tea shop, pulling his wife along in his wake.

Garcia sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “We could have handled that better.”

Lucy scowls. “ _ How?” _

“I don’t know. But how do you think they’ll react when they find out he lived with someone who passed information to Rittenhouse for over a year?” 

Lucy shakes her head and pulls him forward. “Not well.”

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Lucy sets a thick mug of tea in front of Abby. “Drink that, please.”

Abby sniffs and sighs. “It’s flower tea.”

Luka snorts. “Stop it.” He reaches over to take her hand, smiling at her. “Drink it, baby. You know it’s good for you.”

Abby sighs. “Yeah.” She takes a sip, eyeing Garcia over the rim. “So could you please explain all of this to us? Are we in danger?”

Flynn sits back in the chair, glancing at Lucy, who nods. “This is going to sound unbelievable.”

Luka scowls. “We want answers. We deserve them.”

Flynn nods. “You’re right.” He sits back and tells a tale of time travel. Of love and loss. Of redemption. “And that brings us to now. Rittenhouse is mostly defeated, but we’re still clearing things up. Meeting you yesterday was…”

Luka holds up a hand. “Wait. You’re telling us that time travel is real. That you’ve actually experienced it, and you’ve changed things in the past.”

Lucy nods. “Yeah. In our original timeline, for example, the Salem Witch Trials resulted in the hangings of nineteen people. We changed that.”

Abby stares. “Holy shit. So you’re saying that our  _ whole lives _ have been different than they originally were?”

Flynn frowns. “It’s complicated. Odds are, you two were meant to meet and be together. We don’t know the full effects ....”

Luka throws up a hand again. “How would we know? For all we know, the memories we have aren’t really ours.”

Lucy shakes her head. “Your son is proof that nothing we did changed things for you. At least not after you met. More than likely not before either. Small changes were made to history, sure. But Luka, Rittenhouse was focused on America, mostly. So…”

“So my family wasn’t killed because of them? Can you be sure of that?” Luka shoves back and rises. “I need some air.”

Abby starts to rise to follow him. Garcia lays a hand on her arm. “Let me. Please. Maybe I can help.” 

Abby nods and settles again. Rubbing a hand over her face, she studies Lucy. “This hasn’t been easy for you, has it?”

Lucy sighs. “That’s an understatement.”

“Luka spent so many years living in guilt over what happened.” She smiles a little. “It’s part of why we didn’t work at first. I felt like he was punishing himself by being with me.” Abby shakes her head when Lucy opens her mouth to speak. “That wasn’t his intention, but..” she waves her hand. “It’s hard to explain. It’s not easy living up to the ghost of a much-loved wife, but add children…”

Lucy closes her eyes and nods. “I know  _ exactly _ what you mean.”

Abby’s lips quirk. “I’m sure you do. Over time, he got past it. He moved on. But Danijela and the kids will  _ always _ have a piece of his heart. I know that, and I accept it. In fact, I’ve grown to love them too. Because his heart is my heart.” she murmurs.

Lucy blinks back tears. “That’s….beautiful.”

Abby shrugs. “It just is. Luka’s the one who believes in fate and destiny and all of that. I just know that I love him more than anything, and my life would suck without him.”

Lucy lets out a surprised laugh. “Did you just quote a Kelly Clarkson song?”

Abby smirks. “Maybe.”

**********************************************

Garcia leans against the side of the building, watching Luka pace back and forth. He braces himself when the older man whirls toward him, violence in his eyes. 

“How likely is it that this Rittenhouse is responsible for…”

“Slim odds, Luka.” Garcia pushes away from the building. “I read your dossier.”

Luka’s brow furrows. “I have a dossier?”

Flynn snorts. “Everyone has a dossier.”

“I’m just a doctor…”

“You’re former Croatian army. You were in Vukovar during the siege. You moved to the States and drifted around.” Garcia shrugs. “They kept tabs on you, yeah. Last but not least, you’re distantly related to me.”

Luka’s head snaps up. “Why are  _ you  _ the center of all of this?”

“Because I’m the one who finally found a way to really defeat them. They thought the time machines would help their cause. I put a wrench in that.”

“Okay, but…”

Flynn takes him by the shoulders. “The odds of Rittenhouse starting the conflicts in the Balkans simply to kill your family are slim to none. They focused on America. They wanted to change events in American history that would help their cause.”

Luka stares. “And what exactly  _ is  _ their cause?”

“White male privilege, coupled with keeping the higher classes in charge.” Garcia shrugs when Luka snorts at that. “I know that seems simplistic, but it’s basically true.”

Luka shakes his head. “The Carters being wrapped up in that doesn’t surprise me, but…”

“What?” 

“Can we go back in? I need Abby.”

Garcia nods, knowing the feeling well. He pulls open the door and ushers Luka in.

Luka sits and pulls his chair closer to his wife’s. Taking her face in his hands, he pulls her in for a long kiss. “I love you.” he murmurs.

Abby smiles softly and runs her hand over his hair. “I know. Are you okay?”

Luka smiles. “Yeah. I think so.” He turns to face Flynn and Lucy, who are pointedly staring at the mural on the wall. “What I was going to say about the Carters…”

Garcia nods. “Go ahead.”

“Abby and I have known John for almost thirty years. He’s not involved.”

Lucy smiles softly. “I didn’t know my own mother was Rittenhouse. Until I knew.”

Abby shakes her head. “He’s not. John has  _ always  _ done everything he can to get out from under the Carter family legacy. It was like his life’s mission.”

Flynn nods. “Everything we’ve turned up confirms that he’s not involved. But now we know he obviously knew about them. That changes things.”

“We could call him.” Luka shrugs when Flynn stares at him. “Carter is one of our closest friends. If we’re getting pulled into this mess, and he’s even peripherally involved, he should know. He has a family too.”

Lucy snorts. “You get so wrapped up in the intrigue that you never think that simple solutions might just work.”

Flynn nods. “Want to do it now?”

Luka checks his watch. “It’s barely six in the morning in Paris. Carter is  _ not  _ a morning person. We should give him a couple of hours.”

Lucy glances at Garcia. She clears her throat at his small head bob. “There are a few other connections.”

Luka squeezes Abby’s hand. “Who?”

“You had a relationship with a woman named Samantha Taggart?”

Luka’s brows draw together. “Yes.” He shakes his head. “Sam couldn’t have been involved. She was a single mother, barely able to keep things together. That’s part of why I…”

“What about Sam?” Abby demands, eyes narrowed. 

Flynn lifts a brow, amused at Abby’s tone. “Not a fan?”

Abby slides her eyes over to her husband, who huffs out a breath and shrugs. She smiles a little. “My feelings for Sam are complicated. I had no real problems with her personally. She was a good nurse for the most part, and she tried to be a good mother. And she was amusing. But she was also an entitled shrew who made the man I love miserable for better than a year, so yeah. Complicated.”

Flynn snorts and glances at Lucy, who rolls her eyes. He licks his lips. “That sounds familiar.”

Lucy pinches him. “Sam was Rittenhouse, Luka.”

“How? You said that Rittenhouse was about the ‘higher classes’. Sam was a single mom whose family were as blue collar as it gets.”

Flynn nods. “They like to use people like that.” 

“But why?”

“We think she was keeping tabs on you for them. She sent regular reports to a known agent.”

Abby’s eyes narrow again. “I always told you she was shady.”

Luka grins, in spite of the situation. “Stop it.” he shakes his head. “So you’re saying she was only with me…”

Lucy puts a hand over his. “It’s looking that way, I’m sorry.”

Luka shrugs. “I long ago accepted that she was with me to give her son a more stable home, but…” his eyes snap up. “What about Alex?”

“Her son?” Flynn asks.

“Yeah.”

“It’s looking like he’s clear. He owns a garage in Chicago. He restores vintage cars.”

Luka nods. “Yeah, we knew that.” he sighs. “Has Sam done anything else?”

Flynn shakes his head. “It looks like keeping tabs on you was her only assignment.”

Abby’s brows draw together. “But she ended it with you. If she was with you to keep tabs…”

Lucy shrugs. “Maybe Rittenhouse decided they didn’t need her anymore.”

Abby cocks her head. “Does that seem like something they would do?”

Lucy raises a brow. “No, actually. Their MO is to convince women they put in these situations to stay.” she glances at Garcia. “Whatever it takes.”

Flynn glances at Luka. “Did she ever want to get pregnant?”

Luka snorts. “No. She was violently against the idea. That was one of our biggest problems actually.” he smiles at Abby. “Well, that, and we didn’t love each other.”

Flynn nods. “That could be why they pulled her. Rittenhouse likes their legacy babies.”

Abby smirks, unable to resist the obvious. “You caught me. Send the cops.”

Luka chuckles and kisses the top of her head. “That’s not funny.” 

“It’s a little funny.” She turns her head to kiss his cheek. “Luka…”

He shakes his head. “Don’t. It doesn’t matter.” Luka pulls back to look into her eyes. “Sam ending things pushed us back together again. You were always the one, Abby. But it took that shove from her for me to examine things and realize what I really wanted. That was  _ always  _ you, baby.”

Abby looks down and nods. “I know. You don’t have to explain that to me.” She looks up to smile at him. 

Lucy sighs and smiles at Garcia. “These two are…”

Flynn smirks. “I know. It’s a little ridiculous.” 

Abby rolls her eyes. “Shut up, you two.” she clears her throat. “So you said a couple of other connections…”

“The other one is a little more complicated.” Flynn sits back. “When we thought we had defeated Rittenhouse originally, they changed tactics. They placed sleepers throughout history. Generally to change big events. But we’ve found a few who were just there to keep an eye on things as well.”

“Who?” Luka demands.

“Nicole Bissett?” Lucy lifts a brow. 

Luka tenses and Abby squeezes his hand. “Really?”

“Yeah. Ah, she was placed to break the two of you up. We think.”

Abby snorts. “Well, mission accomplished.”

Luka holds up his hand. “Wait. You’re saying Rittenhouse orchestrated that? Why?”

Flynn shrugs. “We aren’t sure.”

Abby taps her fingers on the table. “Well, it’s not like we didn’t already have problems. Nicole was just the last straw.”

Lucy smiles at her. “What happened?”

Luka shifts, looking uncomfortable. “I was flirting with her, in Abby’s face. We had a huge blow up and walked away from each other.”

Abby slides her eyes over. “I called you later that night.”

Luka looks up sharply. “What?” 

“She answered your phone.” Abby says softly. “Then, when I’d cooled down, I called you a couple of days later. She answered again.”

Luka curses. “Well Jesus, that was a bad coincidence both times.” Luka’s brows draw together. “What the hell? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Abby shrugs. “You know why.”

Luka sighs and closes his eyes. “I went back to the bar that night. I must have left my phone lying somewhere. As for the other time…”

“She was staying with you by then.” Abby finishes for him.

He curses again. “Do I need to tell you again how sorry I am for it?”

Abby’s shoulders slump. Even after all these years, the Nicole situation still stings a little. “Of course not. I know the reasons. I know what happened.”

“There was a pregnancy?” Lucy asks them quietly.

Luka shakes his head. “No. She claimed to be pregnant, but she wasn’t.” 

Lucy kicks Garcia under the table when he opens his mouth to speak. “Alright. What happened?”

Luka shrugs. “She left. I never heard from her again. I don’t see how this could…”

Lucy shakes her head. “We don’t know.”

Abby sighs. “We always kind of wondered what her game was, Luka. She kept changing her story about everything. Her father, her stepfather. The stealing, the lying.”

Luka nods. “You hated her on sight.” he gives her a tentative grin.

Abby snorts. “Luka, she was coming onto you while I was sitting  _ right there _ . And you were being all goofy and charming and…”

Luka takes her hand. “What?”

“Jesus. I’m over this, you know that, right? But back then, you stopped trying with me, and you were trying with her, and it just….it pushed me into picking that fight.”

Luka looks gobsmacked. “ _ I  _ stopped trying? Abby, I wanted you to move in with me.” He stops to take a deep breath. “Okay. This isn’t the time to get into this.”

Abby shakes her head. “We don’t need to get into it at all. It was twenty-five years ago, Luka. What’s the point?”

Flynn clears his throat. “There may be a very big point.” 

Luka glares at him. “I don’t think our feelings from that long ago matter to this.” He pins his wife with his eyes. “But they matter to me. We’ll talk about it later.”

Abby sighs, knowing Luka wasn’t going to let it go. He was like a dog with a bone over stuff like this. “Fine.”

Luka glares at her and nods. “Fine.”

Lucy snorts, then blushes when they all look at her. “Sorry. I was starting to wonder if the two of you ever fought or got mad at each other. Guess you do.”

Abby rolls her eyes. “You have absolutely no idea.”

Calming down a bit, Luka strokes a hand down her arm. “You know which buttons to push.”

Abby nods. “I only push them on purpose once in awhile.”

“I’m still not letting it go.”

“Didn’t think you were.”

Flynn sighs. “Okay. If you two think of anything about that situation while you’re yelling at each other, let us know.” He nods when Luka snorts. “Meanwhile, maybe we should find somewhere for lunch. We can call your friend Carter.”

*******************************************************

Flynn glances down at Lucy as they follow in the Kovač’s wake. “So what do you think? And why did you kick me?”

Lucy smirks. “I don’t know what I think. Abby wasn’t really surprised to find out about Sam.”

“No, she wasn’t. She seems to have a good read of people.”

“Well, she _ is _ almost sixty.” Lucy smiles when Flynn snorts at that. “And I kicked you because there’s obviously something more to the Nicole story. I could see something in Abby’s eyes.”

Flynn nods. “Yeah. I didn’t notice until you bruised my shin, but she looked apprehensive.”

Lucy scoffs. “I barely tapped you.”

“I may need crutches for that tap.” he mutters. “Do you think they’re fighting up there?”

“I think Abby can handle Luka.”

Abby glances up at her husband as they stride ahead. “Are you seriously pissed at me?”

“No.” Luka stares straight ahead as they walk. “There’s a diner over there.”

Abby sighs. “Luka…”

He shrugs and glances down at her. “I just can’t believe you’re still holding onto any of that.”

“I’m not. I haven’t thought about it in years. But it’s being brought up now, and so yeah. Some of the feelings still sting a little. Remembering feelings doesn’t mean I  _ still  _ feel that way, you idiot.” She takes his elbow. “You can’t tell me that finding out that Sam was only with you to keep tabs for an evil organization doesn’t sting a little.”

Luka sighs. “I meant what I said. I know the reasons that I was with her. Finding out that she was using me for more than a father figure for Alex and for sex doesn’t really add much to it. It’s not like she could tell them much.”

Abby nods. “Yeah. We lived pretty boring lives back then. What with your adventure doctoring and hospital shoot-outs and kidnappings and helicopters crashing.”

Luka smirks. “Smartass. But what I mean is, it’s pretty obvious that they were keeping track of me because of Flynn. I had never even heard of him before yesterday. So what was the point?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Abby squeezes his arm. “I guess we’d better call Carter, and then we’ll see if we can figure it out.” She rises on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I love you no matter what, you moron. None of this stuff is going to change that.”

Luka cups her cheek and kisses her forehead. “Back at you.” 


End file.
